NEWS

That’s not a controversial statement; it is simply a fact. Staten Island is greener than the rest of the city, has higher rates of homeownership, is less urban, is less dense and drives more out of necessity. Politically, we also have a healthy and vibrant two-party system, which does not exist anywhere else in the city.

And yet, while we are remarkably dissimilar to the rest of New York City, we are remarkably similar to America as a whole. Look no further than the numbers provided by the U.S. Census Bureau; the similarities between Staten Island and the rest of America are striking. For example, nationwide homeownership rates are 64.9 percent – in Staten Island, 68.6 percent. Across the country, 28.8 percent of Americans have bachelor’s degrees, on par with 29.7 percent in Staten Island. In almost all categories, Staten Island is in lockstep with the rest of America.

On November 19, the Parks Department held a formal grand opening for the long-anticipated Ocean Breeze Track and Field Athletic Complex on Father Capodanno Blvd. The event felt like Christmas morning for runners, Borough President James Oddo said.

The two-story facility cost $93 million to complete and already has 70 meets booked on the calendar.

With 700 Staten Islanders already signed up for the reasonably priced membership to the facility, it’s off and – literally - running.“If you’re involved in track now, this center will make you want to be,” noted Parks Commissioner Mitchell Silver who emceed the opening festivities from the center of the hydraulic track.

"Wow… This is truly an exciting day Staten Island. Not only will this facility put Staten Island on the map within the track and field community by allowing us to play host to important sporting events, but it will it will also fill a real year-round need for Staten Islanders who are interested in improving their health and wellness at an affordable price in a convenient location," said Borough President Oddo.

The athletic complex is 135,000 square feet and has seating for 2,500, important during track and field events.

Department of Design and Construction Commissioner Feniosky Peña-Mora spoke to the facility’s storm resiliency, a piece of the project that was looked at again post-Sandy.In addition, the Indoor Athletics Facility has certified the complex, making it the only world-class facility on the East Coast.

The 200 meter Mondo track has eight lanes, has a sensored heating and cooling system, an anti-glare system and an Olympic-style lifting platform.

After the program, Commissioners Silver and Pena-Mora led a group of adults and children alike (including Assemblyman Michael Cusick) for the very first lap around the new track.

On the evening of November 12, the beautiful, historic St. George Theatre, which has welcomed scores of celebrities throughout its tenure, saw the vivacious two-time Emmy winning actress Kristen Johnston take the stage last night.

Johnston, who is in recovery for alcohol and prescription drug abuse, co-founded SLAM NYC, which is committed to creating a sober high school in New York City. Thanks to an invitation from Borough President Oddo, SLAM and filmmaker Greg Williams agreed to screen his film, “The Anonymous People,” which is a documentary talking about recovery, shame and hope.“It has been emotional to watch my home borough go through this epidemic and to lose so many Staten Islanders,” Borough President Oddo said as he opened the event on stage. “We’ve spent a lot of time talking about pain, addiction and death. Now we want to talk about recovery.”The event attracted families, teachers, students and others who were interested in learning about the addiction-recovery process.“I don’t want any more kids to die from this,” noted Johnston, addressing the audience from the stage. “Staten Islanders—you are our heroes on this issue because you are talking openly about the problem and recovery.”The film ran 50 minutes and was followed by a panel discussion moderated by Advance Editor Brian Laline. On the panel were Ms. Johnston; Joe Schrank, Slam NYC board member and participant in the film; Greg Williams, filmmaker, The Anonymous People; Michelle Lipinski, Director of the Northshore Recovery High School; Adrienne Abbate, Director, Tackling Youth Substance Abuse; Luke Nasta, Director, Camelot Counseling Center; Thom Krauss, President and Co-Founder, SLAM NYC; and Tom Checchi, SI Advance.The panelists discussed media coverage of addiction issues as negative and discussed the problem with anonymity, which while understandable and necessary for so many people, is associated with shame.“We shame far too many people. The language that we use to talk about addiction in the media is very negative. We need a language of empowerment. Words have meaning. Words have power,” panelist Schrank said.

In order to keep Historic Richmond Town – the oldest settlement in the city – alive for future generations, upgrades have been long needed. On Nov. 10, a massive project kicked off which will yield $8 million to upgrade the 17th century museum and properties along Clarke Avenue.

“Today is a big step for the future of this place. This is a key moment in making sure that Historic Richmond Town is alive for generations to come,” Borough President James Oddo told guests gathered in the County Courthouse on the grounds, out of the rain, just before the actual groundbreaking. New sidewalks, street lamps and paved roads are among the improvements. Utility upgrades, including electric, data, telephone and sewer will also be completed.

Borough President Oddo has allocated $1,050,000 while in the City Council and $480,000 since taking office as BP. Another $1,032,000 was allocated by BP Molinaro when he was in office.

The complex will also switch from septic to sewer, which will allow it to accommodate bigger crowds during its signature events.

“This was the mercantile center of the island and has changed over the years,” noted Ed Wiseman, Executive Director of Historic Richmond Town. “We are continuing to grow and change. You can't be stagnant and dead and serve the public.”

Ms. Johnston's SLAM NYC & BP to host free film screening on addiction, recovery on Thursday, Nov. 12 at 6:30 PMBorough President James S. Oddo and two-time Emmy winning actress Kristen Johnston sat down in his office this afternoon for a one-on-one conversation about her battle with addiction and her recovery. Both are committed to recovery from addiction and together with SLAM NYC and the Staten Island Advance, will host a free film screening of the movie, "The Anonymous People" on November 12th at 6:30 p.m. at the St. George Theatre. Ms. Johnston is known for her role on TV's "Third Rock from the Sun." An advocate for recovery who has been open about her struggle with addiction, she has been clean and sober for 9 years. She sat down with BP Oddo, who played the role of interviewer during the press conference. "We are trying to share with people that this is a disease of the brain," Johnston said, noting that medical recognition of the disease will continue to help de-stigmatize it. "We want to let kids know, let parents know, there's no shame in getting help," she said.In fact, she shared her own experience in a book and does the same in the film, "The Anonymous People." "Hundreds and thousands of people have changed their lives because I told the truth," Johnston said, noting that if she can touch just one person or family on Thursday night it will be a successful evening. "Thursday night we'll show the film that has changed the way people view addiction in this country," Johnston said, adding that it's a celebration of recovery and that all should come out for it.